Monday, September 29, 2014

I made 3 Christmas Tags for my Stampin Up Book Party today! Isn't the Holiday Mini full of great stuff? I think so. I chose the Stampin Up Ski Slope Designer paper for this project. It contains Whisper White, Old Olive, Chocolate Chip, Real Red and Baja Breeze. I designed a large digital tag with the same outline as the Tag Punch. I put borders on them in Chocolate Chipr, Baja Breeze, and Real Red.

I chose Dasher for the Chocolate Chip tag. Stamped in CC on white die cut with a Spellbinder Deckle Rectangle as I had nothing in my SU that would do the trick. I cut the next layer in the DSP. I added the greeting from the Joy to the World stamp set. I added a CC .25 grosgrain ribbon held in placed with a tiny white brad.

I chose one of the Keepsake Ornaments for the Baja Breeze tag. I cut a piece of DSP then ripped in half and placed each piece with the rip toward the centre as shown. I printed the ornament and cut it with the coordinating framelit. I added French Blue .25 grosgrain ribbon which matched pretty well the Baja Breeze.

I chose the Owl from the Punch a Bunch Stamp Set for the Real Red Tag. I printed the owl on white and punched him out. I punched his vest in the DSP as well as the 2.25 inch circle behind him. I added the heart on his vest. I added googlie eyes. The blue greeting is from the Joy to the World stamp set. I added a French Blue .25 inch ribbon held in place with a tiny white brad.

Saturday, September 27, 2014

This is a wreath is my own design. I have printed it in a warm dark green. I have placed rusty stars onto it. I added a great greeting in several fonts in the same colors in the wreath. I added a great organza ribbon bow in a warm copper color.
The stars were diecut with the Sizzix Stars#2 die from copper card stock.

Thursday, September 25, 2014

Another set of Christmas cards for the auction. I started with a photo I took of a vintage snow angel Christmas decoration. I added a night sky in warm tones then layered over it a texture background of falling snow that I designed. I added a snowbank on the bottom of the card with the "Peaceful Wishes" greeting layered over it. I printed this onto ivory card stock. I then added a matte gold star die cut with the Sizzix die. This was added to the card front with a glue dot to add just a wee bit of dimension. Super happy with this one!

I then packaged the set of 20 cards in a clear square box. I added a spacer just like the retail industry does which worked out really well. The box was purchased from a packaging store.

I made a set of these cards for a donation to an auction happening soon. I made this set last year which proved popular.

I created the boughs from a real photograph of pine branch. I drew the ornaments, the hangers, and the snow background. The centre Love was printed, punched and mounted with 3D foam tape to add dimension.

The set contained 20 cards in a really nice clear box. I made a spacer just like the retail industry does which works really well. The box was purchased from a packaging store.

Monday, September 22, 2014

I made these smaller note cards as a thank you for the girls who signed up for card club.

These were made with Stampin Up! Sweet Sorbet DSP digital images. I added several pieces of Pool Party thread across the DSP under the greeting accent then added a Pool Party thread bow on the right hand side. The black greeting accent is from the You're Lovely stamp set. I overlaid the greeting over the decorative accent which is from the Eventful Year stamp set. I colored it with Groovy Guava.

The bottom set of note cards were printed on ivory card stock. The Stampin Up! set is Petal Parade in a variety of colors and lay outs!

Here's a cute felt owl. I chose a black card then put a turquoise layer embossed with a Cuttlebug embossing folder. I cut the Tim Holtz Cameo Frame from black card stock and cut the die in half. I placed a .5 stripe of yellow across the card over the bottom edge of the Cameo diecut. The circle is cut from white with Spellbinder Nestabilities and placed over the yellow strip. I cut the branch he is sitting on from dark green card stock with the Stampin Up Small Leaves sizzlet. The owl was then adhered in the centre of the white circle.

A flip card this time, cut with the Sizzix Royal Flip-It Card Thinlits. I started with a yellow card and then cut the layers in blue floral designer paper. For the central accent I cut the next layer in a orange card stock. Then the greeting was stamped in the center oval of the next layer. It is automatically embossed when cut.
For the class I printed the greetings then cut them because the oval in the die allows for perfect placement.

Wrap the seam binding ribbon around the background layer leaving room for the flag and heart. Tie and knot the ribbon. Adhere the background paper to the card front. The flag was color printed with stipple design and a flag shape printed on the back to help with making an even flag. Trim the flag with scissors and then adhere to the card front. The hearts were made with the Martha Stewart Lattice Heart Punch in red card stock. Add the heart as shown. Trim the ends of the ribbons.

This is a great versatile design. You need Doubl e Sided Designer paper where the both sides work well together. Cut a piece to 4" x 5.25" then cut it down to seven .75 inch strips. Decide which will be the center strip and reassemble the paper flipping every other one and tape together on the back. This can then be adhered to coordinating card stock. Rip a strip of coordinating cardstock and glue across the bottom third. Glue the centres on the flowers then place the flowers as you choose.

Saturday, September 20, 2014

I made this for Holly Jolly's Challenge this week which is Ribbon or Lace. I just received my Stampin Up Keepsake Ornaments and the matching Ornaments Framelits. I printed the ornament in SU Cranberry Crisp on Very Vanilla. I cut it with the framelit. I used a piece of SU Holiday Thyme DSP at the top of the card. I stamped the bottom half with the Build a Background in Always Artichoke. I placed a piece of Cranberry Crisp ribbon at the top of the card where the ornament will be placed and adhered the bottom end and taped the other end to the inside of the card. I placed a piece of True Thyme ribbon across the bottom edge of the DSP. I cut a slit in the fold and pulled the left hand side end to the inside of the card and taped it down. The right hand was folded over and taped down on the inside of the card. I adhered my Keepsake Ornament with 3D foam tape to add dimension and make room for the 2 layers of ribbon.

Thursday, September 18, 2014

I made this card for the challenge at Bitten by the Bug2 which is Any Cricut Cut. I decided on a Christmas card as my supply is lower than it should be!
I selected the Winter Frolic cartridge and cut the greeting from gold card stock. It was cut at 1.25". I chose AC Kringle and Co - Lighting Department designer double sided paper. The star and manger are my own design. I adjusted the colors to match the warm blue card stock I selected then printed it on the DSP. I rubbed the edges of the DSP layer with a navy ink pad to soften the edges. I then glued the gold greeting.
I'm really happy with this one!

Monday, September 15, 2014

I started with the autumn pumpkin digital file from Graphics Fairy. I color printed it then aged it with a bit of Tim Holtz Antique Linen Distress Stain. This card has a different layout because I forgot to use my Magnetic Platform and the die moved on me so it cut crooked, so I had to use the die cut instead of the hole. I layered the pumpkins onto dark green card stock and adhered it to the bottom of the card. I cut the greeting with Memory Box die. I applied tape runner adhesive to the Thanks die cut and placed it above. I managed to find a piece of deep yellow fiber in my stash and wrapped it around the card several times and knotted it. Trimmed the ends.

Here's a cool tool I picked up recently. It's a water brush. I holds water which is send down to the brush. You can then pick up color from a variety of sources and paint with it.

The color can be a watercolor palette, a dye ink pad, liquid acrylic paint, and I'm sure there a many others. They come in several brush tip sizes like small, medium, and large. You squeeze the barrel to get water to the brush. When you want to change color just squeeze a bit of water and press on your cloth or paper towel and you ready for a new color.

Several makers produce these. Pentel, Sakura, Derwent are several. I believe Tim Holtz has a set and Stampin Up as well.

Sunday, September 14, 2014

I made this card for a challenge on one of my on-line groups. The challenge was doodles. I would not say one of my strong points but I wanted to participate so I went for it.
I found a pumpkin digital image at Graphics Fairy. I printed it, trimmed it and then added some Tim Holtz Antique Linen Distress Stain to tone down the white in the back ground. I rubbed the edges of the image with orange dye ink pad. I used the same ink to do my hand lettering and doodling at the top of the card. I used a water brush and picked up some dye ink from the pad and added Fall in hand lettering. I added the doodles to the right. I stamped the hello within the doodles with a green ink pad and a small clear stamp. I then added a shadow to the hand lettering with a green marker.

I'm posting this photo for the challenge at Donna's blog. Movement is the challenge.

I chose the movement of the water at an outdoor fountain during my walk tonight. You can see the reflection of the aqua green rails being distorted by the waves in the water as it splashes down into the reservoir. Towards the bottom of the photo is darker because there is a channel that goes all the way around the fountain that holds water but it's a deeper than the space above. In the deeper water the trees are being reflected.

I took this picture on my evening walk. It was a gorgeous night and the sunset was giving the sky great color. The challenge at Claire's blog is window. I liked these windows because they were flat and reflect none of their surroundings not even the clouds. It makes them look opaque in contrast to what they are usually transparent.

I found this paper and just had to make cards with it. It's the Graphics 45 - Nutcracker Sweet Collection - Snowflake Waltz. I matched it with the Bazzill Great Lakes textured card stock.

I cut the DSP to leave a small border. The paper is so nice that I did not add much so I would not hide the paper. I wrapped and tied a piece of iridescent blue fiber around the DSP layer and adhered it to the card front. I added a vellum tag punched with the Stampin Up small tag punch. I added a Martha Stewart Arctic Snowflake punch from pearl paper, punched a small hole at the top and and tied it onto the card. Gorgeous!

Is the Nutcracker part of your Christmas traditions? These would make great cards for you to give.

Here are a few cards I made as prototypes for this plaid paper. I decided against the idea for a bunch of cards because of the alignment but I have these three. The final one will show up soon.

I cut a wreath from the plaid paper with Spellbinder scallop circle Nestabilities in 2 different sizes. I used my magnetic spacer in my Big Shot to keep them in place. I stamped the texture onto the green where the wreath was with the Stampin Up Itty Bitty backgrounds with green ink. Once the outside layer was attached to the card it was most necessary to put the wreath back in to align the centre piece. Then that was glued in place. I added a navy seam binding bow held in place with a glue dot.
I have a couple of wreaths which I will use along the way.

Here's the set of cards I made for my niece. She likes cards but with 2 little ones making them sometimes is a challenge. I used the My Minds Eye - Indie Chic - Nutmeg "Hanging Out" Roses double sided paper. This is the flip side. I use the Sizzix Framelits Die - Card, Royal Flip-its which as 11 pieces so a lot of options without using the flip part of the set. Left - I layered a piece of the DSP onto a yellow card then die cut a hole in the center with one of the framelits. I then cut the corresponding layers to create the accent. I placed a strip of brown card stock across the center then mounted the accent with 3D foam tape. Added a small daisy punchie in the center.

Right - A brown card with a layer of DSP adhered to it. Over that a strip of brown and then a strip of yellow onto which I stamped the HB greeting in brown.

Left - I started with a yellow card. I used an edgelit in the set to cut the bottom edge of the DSP layer. I cut a brown to layer behind the DSP one. A strip of brown card stock with an accent again cut from the framelits in the set. I put a yellow daisy punchie in the centre and mounted the accent with 3D foam tape.

Right - This an actual flip it card made with the set. It's so easy to use these sets because it cuts all the pieces just the right size. The card is cut from yellow then the 2 front layers were cut in the DSP. Just adhere. I cut the accent on the front with the different framelits in the set that are nesting in size. The smaller brown piece is a frame into which I put a brown daisy punchie.

These framelits sets allow you to create cards very quickly! A cool tool. I would highly recommend adding a set to your tool set.

Thursday, September 11, 2014

Here's the other find at the Thrift Store. I've been looking for one for quite a while. I've chosen black for my craft room and the clock I had was ivory. It's been following me around for decades but it was classic round with good size numbers. Classics last forever! I digress.
This one was large and the numbers easy to see. I did have to make some adjustments to it. The hands were not solid which made it harder to see them. So I just cut narrow stripes of black card stock, applied adhesive to both ends and applied them to the back of the hand. Now I have 2 solid clock hands which make the clock are really easy to read. I'm a happy crafter!

I'm celebrating today because after 2 weeks of being under the weather I'm finally feeling better. I was out for a bit last night and headed to the Thrift Store for some badly needed sweat pants. I always check for yellow mugs/cups when I'm there and there it was! I took it as a good sign. Yellow and big are two things I look for in a cup. This morning I have my favorite - Chai Spice Tea. Check my next blog post for another great find.

This is the card I made for my niece who is celebrating a birthday this week. I used the Sizzix Framelits Die - Card, Royal Flip-its which I recently acquired. The designer paper I used is My Mind's Eye Indie Chic Nutmeg "Hanging Out" Roses. This is the flip side. This card was not cut to flip. I used a regular brown card. I cut the DSP with the one piece from the set and then the matching yellow card stock with the matching piece. These were adhered to the card front. I then ran a piece of yellow gross grain ribbon across the center horizontally through a slit in the fold of the card on the left and taped the ends to the inside of the card. I created the accent with the many coordinating framelits in the set. Larger in the same brown as the card, the next layer same yellow. This framelit applies the texture you see and leaves the centre oval not embossed. I traced the oval with a marker while the framelit was still on the die cut. I punched a small daisy and adhered it in the centre of the oval. The greeting was stamped in brown and I corner rounded the 4 corners and rubbed the edges with the same marker I used for the oval. This is one of her favorite papers. I will post the cards later.

Monday, September 1, 2014

Here's my card for this month's challenge which is to use washi tape on your card. Red white and green, jewel tones, gold, silver, teal, or trees, stars poinsettias, stockings and a stack more are options. Check your stash and make a card or two. If you stash is low like me I made 7 to bolster the numbers.

I found this tape a local scrapbook store. It was elegant, muted and sophisticated rather than bright and colorful. I decided to go with ivory, gold and black. I stamped the words from Hampton Arts called Sentiment Candle on ivory and gold embossed it. I matted it with a piece of black card stock leaving a small border. I cut a piece of brushed gold card stock and cut it leaving a large border and adhered it to the black card front. I then placed 2 lengths of washi tape across the top and bottom of the card leaving the ripped ends at each end. I adhered the candle element onto the card front with 3D foam tape. I then applied 2 short pieces of narrow black washi tape on the bottom right hand corner. I'm happy with the way it turned out.